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upper hand
noun
Synonyms
Examples of upper hand in a Sentence
finally gained the upper hand in the argument
Recent Examples on the Web
Suspicious that studio executives were leaking information to get an upper hand, the Writers Guild of America told members not to believe press reports but, rather, to get their information from the union.
—Meg James, Los Angeles Times, 16 June 2024
But in this regard, Lopez may still be hoping to maintain an upper hand.
—Martha Ross, The Mercury News, 13 June 2024
For games with winning chances of 50 percent or worse, there is no betting strategy that secures an upper hand in a finite world.
—Jack Murtagh, Scientific American, 10 Aug. 2023
That economic reliance has given Xi a slight upper hand.
—Stephanie Yang, Los Angeles Times, 16 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for upper hand
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'upper hand.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
15th century, in the meaning defined above
Time Traveler
The first known use of upper hand was
in the 15th century
Dictionary Entries Near upper hand
Cite this Entry
“Upper hand.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/upper%20hand. Accessed 15 Jul. 2024.
Kids Definition
upper hand
noun
: the position of being ahead or in control
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